An Iowa family's apartment is flooded on Christmas after burglars break in upstairs.

An Iowa family's apartment is flooded on Christmas after burglars break in upstairs.

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Updated: 10:40 AM CST Dec 28, 2013

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WEBVTT A local mother is speaking out after she was nearly flooded out of her own apartment on Christmas. KCCI's ryan smith joins us with the details... New at 10 turns out... The dripping water came from the apartment above. A Burglar busted into a second- floor apartment in southeast des moines, rummaged through the rooms and left his mark with soggy mess. Kerri Colby was forced to take down her family's holiday décor and pretty much everything else on the walls after water began leaking from her ceiling Christmas day. "I NOTICED IT COMING FROM THE CEILING HERE AND THERE WAS A BUCKET PLACED RIGHT THERE ON THE LEDGE." When Colby got home from a family get- together Wednesday, it wasn't Santa who had paid a visit, it was the apartment's maintenance man. "IT'S BEEN ABOUT 48 HOURS OF CONTINUOUS FAN USE." Turns out, a brazen burglar kicked in the door to the apartment directly above Colby's at Rosemont Place. movie video And pulled a prank straight out of the holiday classic Home Alone. "YOU DID IT AGAIN DIDN'T YOU? YOU LEFT THE WATER RUNNING DIDN'T YOU?" According to police, the suspect left the sinks and dishwasher running inside the second floor apartment. "ALL THE GREAT ONES LEAVE THEIR MARK, WE'RE THE WET BANDITS." A wet bandit on the run in des moines. "NOW YOU SHOW A PATTERN OF WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND WHEN YOU'RE FINALLY CAUGHT YOU CAN LOOK AT, GO BACK TO ALL THESE LOCATIONS AND TIE IT BACK TO YOU." 13.54 "IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO USE THE BATHROOM WITH THAT FAN IN THERE THAT HAS TO GO ALL THE TIME." Five high- powered fans and an industrial- strength dehumidifier take up just about every open space in this two-bedroom apartment. A noisy inconvenience for Colby and her twin two-year-old daughters. "THEY'RE RUNNING CONTINUOUSL Y ALL THE TIME. I HAVE HAD TO SHUT THEM OFF SO I COULD AT LEAST GET MY GIRLS THROUGH THE LIVING ROOM WITHOUT THEM BEING TERRIFIED. THEN ONCE THEY GO TO BED WE HAVE TO TURN THEM BACK ON TO DRY THE UPSTAIRS." The family of three hopes to get out this soggy situation before the new year. Police say it was obvious the suspect's intent was to do serious damage once inside the apartment. Meantime Colby and her family are working with the property management to hopefully soon move into another unit.

Burglars flood apartments during crime

An Iowa family's apartment is flooded on Christmas after burglars break in upstairs.